AWEI

event

Growing Zimbabwe’s Wild Food Market

15:00 CAT
Zambezi House

Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe

What’s next for Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy? 

A series of AWEI Dialogues - Starting in May 2022

In June 2019, the Government of Zimbabwe, along with the African Union and the United Nations Environment Programme, hosted Africa’s Wildlife Economy Summit at Victoria Falls. The Summit Report noted that it had “aimed at advancing political and community leadership, private sector know-how and financial resources for a new vision of pan-African conservation that delivers sustainable economic benefits to national governments and local communities.”

At the Summit, there was also a Voices of the Communities Declaration – “Reset the agenda for community based natural resources management to… turn wildlife into a rural economic engine.” The Declaration proposed that governments “recognize community rights over the ownership, management and use of resources.” What are the prospects for empowering communities and other landowners to own wildlife and to manage it for inclusive economic growth?



Three years on, what is the vision for Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy? How will key stakeholders – public, private, and community – be empowered and engaged? How will the wildlife economy deliver sustainable economic benefits and contribute to the country`s Gross Domestic Product? The Government of Zimbabwe is currently finalising a new report on the country's biodiversity economy that will address such questions It is scheduled to be released later in 2022. 

In support of this process, the African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) in partnership with Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC) is holding a series of Dialogues starting in May 2022 to explore opportunities for turning Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy into a key sector for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Agenda

Growing Zimbabwe’s Wild Food Market

Wed 25 May – 15:00-16:30 CAT

In-person event - video available below

A recent FAO report on biodiversity and food, noted the importance of wild foods “for food security, nutrition and health, sustainable food and agriculture, and poverty reduction and livelihoods.” What opportunities are there for wild foods in Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy?

The report also proposes that we “improve… landscape structure, and connectivity… to provide habitats for associated biodiversity and wild food species.” What are the opportunities for enhancing landscapes by managing them for wild food? Could the promotion of wild foods be a win-win for biodiversity conservation and economic development?

Speakers

Kennedy Dzama (Chair)
AWEI Chair
Vice-Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences
Stellenbosch University

Gus Le Breton
CEO
African Plant Hunter
(LinkedIn profile)

Max Makuvise
Resident Director
Shangani Holistic
(LinkedIn profile)

Chanda Mwale
Operations Manager
Wildlife Producers' Association of Zambia
(LinkedIn profile)
 

 

More info

Following the Dialogue was the second Taste of Game dinner hosted by AWEI's partner, Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation.

AWEI

 


Click here for more info on the series:
What’s next for Zimbabwe’s wildlife economy?